A lot of you have heard about emeralds as the most popularly known green gemstone. Indeed they are, but in the recent decades there has been talk of another green stone slowly rising in both reception and price.
The green variety of grossularite; a mineral species that belongs to the garnet family, has been a recent favorite of jewelry design houses and high-end collectors alike. Its vivid grassy greens differ significantly from the cooler bluish tinge of most emeralds, however this lush viridian stone has some small perks over its green beryl rival as well.
Tsavorite Garnet Makes an Excellent Alternative to Emerald, Due to its Vividly Saturated Colors and Transparent Clarities.
Tsavorite, as the general industry has termed it, is a greenish garnet that possesses superior durability and clarity levels compared to those of emerald. The Gemological Institute of America classifies this variety as a Type II clarity stone, which means that it tends to have less inclusions than some other gemstones that belong to the lower level of Type III (such as emerald). This fact allows more Tsavorite garnets to possess both better transparency and less risk of breakage from internal issues compared to the vast majority of emeralds on the market.
Tsavorite garnet is notably one of the most expensive garnets in the jewellery industry today. Its current prices can rival those of middle to high-end emeralds, depending on the combination of qualities that a stone possesses.
The name Tsavorite came from the locality where this gem variety was first discovered, Kenya's famous Tsavo region (and the well-known Tsavo National Park). It was also named this way to promote better merchandising and set a difference between this garnet and the famously known Demantoid garnets that were very much in demand at the time.
The trace element that causes the green color in Tsavorite garnet is called vanadium. This element is also responsible for causing some emeralds to be green (such as certain stones from Zambia and Brazil), although many fine emeralds have their colors caused by the trace element chromium.
Although many Tsavorite garnets' possess a slight yellow component as part of their color composition, the finest specimens showcase a more pure green hue.
The commercial stock will usually appear to look more yellowish, similar to the colors often seen in calibrated peridot gemstones.
Photography - Gemological Institute of America
